Willow-twig-peeling machine.



A1 0. POWELL.

WILLOW TWIG FEELING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION HLiID OCT. 8, 1914.

1,167,015. 1 Patented 1511. 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Witnesses Attorney A. 0. POWELL.

WILLOW TWIG FEELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0m. 8. I914.

1,167,015, v I Patented' Jan. 4, 19 16.

Inventor r I a Attorneys A. 0. POWELL. WILLOW TWIG FEELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8, 1914. I

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

Inventor Attorneys R Witnesse N a Z by holdin ALBERT o. POWELL, 0F nnnnsreimor, WISCONSIN.

iLLoW-TW IGFPEELING- M CHIN Specification of Letters fatent.

Application fi1ei1 0ctober8,1914. S'ria1N o. 8 65,695.

of Wisconsin, have invented a new and use ful Villow-Twig-Peeling Machine, of which the following is a specification. I I i The present invention relates to improvements in willow twig peeling machines, one object of the invention, being the provision of a. machine, having means for receiving the willow, removing the bark from the butt end thereof to permit the gripping thereof by a gripping mechanism, such means for such tiine constituting the scraping means after the bark has been removed from the butt-end and is delivered to the conveyingvv acter, which after the butt end has been cleaned, the stalk portion will also be peeled and the final particles adhering theretowill also be removed. 7 v

A still further object of the invention, is the provision of automatic means, which after the twig has once been placed within the scraping mechanism will be properly adjusted therein after the bark has been peeled from the butt end thereof previous to the delivery of the butt to the conveying mechanism which draws the same through the scraping mechanism to remove the greater part of the bark therefrom, there being disposedan auxiliary means for removing the final particles from the twig, such conveying mechanism also being provided with means for releasing the twig at any desired oint.

A still further object of the invention, is.

the provision of a simple machine ofthis character, in which all of the mechanisms are so constructed and timed as to operate in perfect accord to produce the desired result.

. With the foregoing and other objects in viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de- 7 scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment 0fthei11- and delivering the willow twig at vention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimedzwithout departing from the spiritof the invention.

, In the drawings-Figure 1 a top plan view of a complete machine made according to and embodying the present invention."

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof taken from the power side thereof; Fig. 3 is a side view taken from the opposite side. e is a front elevation ,of the complete machine. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig.

3. Fig.6 is a top plan View of one of the twig conveying and scraping members. Figf 7 is a bottom plan View thereof. Fig. 8- is Patented JahA, 1916. I

an end view thereof. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the grippers and conveying members, dotted lines illu'strating the extended position of the parts thereof. Fig.v 10 is. a bottom plan view'of such'members. Fig. 11 is a. front view thereof. Fig, 12" is an end view thereof' Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view delineatingtwo of'the coopcrating gripping mechanisms. Fig. 14; is'a top plan of the structure shown in Fig. 13.

Referring to the drawings, the 'numeral'l designates'the supporting structure for the" present mechanism, which has disposed at the frontthereof, the auxiliary. frame 2 in which is iournaled the two shafts 3' ands. Carried upon theshaft 3 are the two sprocket wheels 5,.while carried upon the shaft l are the twosprocket wheels 6 for the reception of the two sprocketchains 7 said chains being disposed to be, moved from left to right as seen in Fig. 4. Carriedby the two chains 7, and extendingtranversely of the frame 2, are a plurality of twig grippers 8., which also constitute the main bark scrapers. The

detailed construction of these will be set auxiliary frame 2, is a beveled gear 9 which is in mesh .with the beveled gear 10 upon" the transverse shaft 11, whichinreality is '1 the power shaft of the present mechanism.

It will, thus be seen that when the shaft'll ,is

rotated, the shaft 3 is rotated'and in turn operates the endless chains 7, so that the members 8 are properly actuated, saidmem-,'

bers being made in two sections, so thatsu-ch sections open as the members pass" ,over the respective sprocket wheels 5 and 6. Mountv ed at the front end of the machine below the auxiliary frame 2, is a cam block 12 which coiiperates with the two sections of the members 8 as they pass thereover to assist in more firmly grasping the twig when the same is being gripped and conveyed thereaway-from.

in. order to provide a means for tearing and removing the bark from the butt of the twigs before the same are finally gripped and peeled throughout their length, there is disposed at one side of the machine at the base thereof, the two spiked rollers 13 and 1%, said rollers being operated by a single belt 15, which is twisted about the driving pulley lfiupon the shaft 11 and over one end of the roller 1% downwardly and around the pulley 17 upon the short transverse shaft 18, forwardly of the roller 18 and finally back to the pulley 16. Thus it will be seen that the single belt operated from the pulley 16 upon the drive shaft 11 will rotate both spiked rollers 13 and 1% in unison, and in the direction of the arrows as illustrated in Fig. 2 so that the bark upon the butt end of the twig disposed therea-t will be removed. Dis posed at the side of such rollers, at the extreme right hand side of the machine as viewed in Figs. 4 and 5 is a plate :3, which is a butt end adjuster, and operates upon the butt end of the willdw after the rollers 13 and 1% have removed the ba k therefrom so as to adjust such end a certain distance within its respective scraping member 8, so that when the willow is brought beyond the right hand end of the conveyer and below, the butt ends will extend the same distance, the purpose of which will presently appear.

Fixed upon the shaft 11 is a sprocket 19, which receives the sprocket char "0, so that the chain may operate through tl 21, the transverse shaft 22, whi naled at the extreme outlet end 0: 1 and carries thereupon, the la sprocket wheels which in turn carry the sprocket chains the main conveying or mechanism, the forward cues of said chains belng trained over the sprockets at the lowermost end of the inclined conveyor por= tion of the frame. It will thus be seen that by means of the shaft 11, that the conveying chains 24 will be operated to move in the direction of the arrow as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the butt gripping members 26 carried thereby will at the proper time, as will presently appear, grip the butt of the willow or twig presented t iereto at the front end of the machine and pull the same so that the bark will be stripped therefrom and so that when the member 26 has arrived at the outlet end such members will open to permit of the delivery of the peeled twig. Disposed adjacent to and at opposite sides of the conveyer chains 24-, are the upstanding" rims 27,

around one end blocks or members 39 and 4:0, vhich connected together by means of the c 7, one link of each of which is connector by the lug 38 to the under side of the members and -l0 res sectively, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. lhus the members and tO as they pass around the respective sprockets at the end of the conve r are permitted to move farther apart, this being provided for so that the operat r rding at the left of the machrn as shown in i, may insert one willow a time within the device 8, so that the same will be properly gripped and held therein when the device is mover to the upper layer of the conveyer, the same being held fixedly therein during the-scraping of the butt between the 0 San spiked rollers 13 and 1 1- and being released when passing the sprockets 6 so that the butt end may engage the adfiasting device or plate B to slide the willow longitudinally and thus insure disposed against the t 'ng which is clamped to the block side to the plate ll by The spring as may be i' of tough wood, such as lilo to the forward face of the pl, plate 26, whf h is provided or rounded .llow engaging coeperate with similar ends e. 18, which is attached to the opp the member 39 at the opposite bolt w1: rTv 01 1. has

tive plates 1-6 and and is ripi scrapin PlOJQCtlOHS l and 49 t order to limit the forward projection of the plate A, there is attached to it and the member 39, at the lower or inner thereof, a flexible connection In order to prevent the willows from falling between the plates 41 and the member 40, there is attached to the under side of the member l0 the two plates 50, whose free ends underlie the plate 41.

7 In order to provide a mcansfor preventing the willow from leaving the device 8 as it passes over the sprockets 6, and before it side is finally gripped due to the closure of the plate 41 and block 40, the hooked members being projected beyond the ends of the block 40 and the plate 41. It will thus be seen that when the device 8 passes over the sprockets 5, that the same will cause an opening of the blocks 39 and 40, so thatthe space between the peeling or gripping ends.

17 and 49 of the plates 46 and 48(Will be widened to permit of the'operatorplacing a attached to a lug 52 carried by one of the.

willow therein, with the butt end toward.

the back of the machine, such butt end being projected some distance beyond the inner end of the device, so that when the conveyer moves the same to the bark peeling rollers 13and14, a sufficient projection of the butt end will be had, to clean the same of the bark, before the blocks 39 and 40 are again released or separated due to the posi tion thereof upon the sprockets 6. vAt this point, the end engages the butt end adjusting plate B, and the willow is moved toward the front of the machine in its holding device 8, but due to the hooks 51-, it isprevented from falling out as the device 8 moves to the under side of the conveyer. As soon as the device is in a position parallel to the upper strand, the members 39 and 40 are again brought together to cause the edges 47 and 49 to grip thewillow'with its buttend properly adjusted. 'As the lower strands of the conveyer chains 7 are moved toward the left of the machine, the device 8 will ride upon the upper surface of the tightening device 12, so that the blocks 39 and 40 will be caused to flex and bring the gripping ends 47 and 49 in closer proximity to each other and upon the willow, the spring 43 relieving any undue compression that might tend to tear or break the willow. While in this position, the butt end is pre sented to and gripped by the gripping device 26, as will presently appear.

Gripper device-In the construction shown in Figs. 9, 1O, 11 and 12, the gripper 26, consists of a plate or bar 53 which is links of the respective chains 24, so that such gripper device may be attached to both chains. Attached to the plate or bar 53, are

' two pins 54, one adjacent each end thereof,

while also carried thereby and in line therewith, are the two pins 55, said pins55- being extended through the slots 56 of the two movable plates or members 57. These pins carry locking members 58, which hold the plates 57 upon the upper face of the bar 53. Thus as the device 26 is carrying the twigs, it moves in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1, and the plates or members 57 will be upon the upper side, while when moved toward the front of the machine they will be upon the under side, the same being properly held in position as before stated .by: means holders 58.

Formed integral upon each of the plates 57 is a shoe 59, which is adapted to cooperate with the guiding wall 27 of the conveyer portion of the frame so that the plates 57will be held inwardly,

of the-wire clamps. or.

the outer end of with the upstanding gri tipingrdevices 101' lugs 61 in engagement with the willow.

that'the lugs 61'will release the willow and permit the same to be delivered or dropped at the proper point. Therefore the pins 60 are carried by the members 57 in an opp0- site direction to the shoes 59 or upon the upper face thereof so as to engage the releasing arms 28 disposed at the outlet end of the conveyer and which slightly converge relatively to the walls 27, and which terminate at this point to release the shoes 59.'

Thus the pins 60 pass exteriorly of and engage the arms 28 to slide theplates 57 apart to release and permit the delivery of the willow at the outlet end of the machine. As.

the device 26 is moved'toward the front of the machine, the shoes 59 engage the end of the walls 27 at the inlet end of the machine and thus bring the lugs 61 together,

and upon the butt end of the willow which;

at that time is so positioned by one of the devices 8. As the device 8 at this time rides upon the highest or center portion of the cooperative cam block 12 the sections of the clamping member are forced more tightly- .together upon the willow, so that during the movement of the device 8 at the lower side of the chains 7 from left to right as illustrated in Fig. 4, the member 26jwill have gripped the butt end of the willow and due to the chains 24 moving in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. l and at much greater speed than the chains 7 the willow is in reality snatched from between the gripping members 47 and 49 of the blocks 39 and 40 and the bark is peeled off, before the blocks 39 and 40' have been released, the flexibility of the willow permitting the movement of the device 8 to the left or toward the sprockets 5 without damaging the fiber of the same.

The chains 24 are operated at a much greater speed than the chains 7, and there are a greater number'of gripping devices 8 than grippers 26, the timing of these op-v erations being such that one of the grippers 26 arrives at the proper time to receive and grip the butt end. of a willow carried by a device 8; and as before stated the ratio speed between the two is so great, that the device 26 in reality s tches the willow through the slowly mov 5 vice 8.

Auwtle'arg/ szfcpoer devices-"n order to Jrovide ans. rcr l31S" 1g the removal all particles of bark n the willow the ne delivered at the outlet end of the conveyor, there is disposed at the inlet of the machine, the two niembers and 29, which provided with the willow receiving gri pine members 29 and 29 These members are disposed to be slightly elevated and o ened and closed as illustrated in full and dotted lines in 5, such action bein automatic, and timed according to the osition of the shoes 59 of the. devices 26, as they approach and enter the inlet end of the conveyor and during the time that they grip the butt end oi. the willow, and a e dra ing the same through the gripping devices 8. These members and 29 supported respectively by means the pivoted links 3132 and 3l31 which are connected so that such members 29 29 will be properly moved into and out of the path of the members 26 and in position to grip the willow intermediate of the gripping member and the scraping member 8. Thus the members are giveii a slight vertical movement as they are separated and are slightly lowered when willow.

end

brought-together upon the lin order to provide a ur a; s for impartnembers 29 and i'.g this movement to the so that such members will be operated. 'nultaneously, these are disposed at opposite sides of the guides 27 and projected theretl rough in the path of the shoes 59, the pins 3-3 and 33 which are operably connected to the levers 34 and 84'. These levers and pivot intermediate of their ends to the 35 and 35 mounted upon the of l the macoine, while the upper ends thereof are connected to the links 36 and 36", whicl 9 connected respectively by means of the pins and 87 to the upper end of the me =1. r and 29. Thus the pin for operating the member is at the ri ht hand side of the guide viewed in 5 while the pi for operating the nember 29 is disposed at an opposite side to pin or at the left hand side. 1

Gperot2'0n-.From the fo egoing description, 'aken in connection w. the drawings, the operation of the present machine is readily understood, but briefly stated it is as follows: Assuming the operator to be standing at the front of the machine as illustrated in Fig the device 8, WfliCll is posi tioned at an roximately the upper left hand portion or the sprocl-ret 5 will be in open position to receive the willow, said willow being presented therein with the butt end away from the operator. As the conveyor is way 27 as moved from left to right, the plate 41 is moved toward the plate 40 so as to grip the willow between the gripping edges 47 and 49, said willow being disposed longitudinally between the plates 40 and 41. At this time the butt end isprojected a suilicient distance to, when the same reaches the peeling rollers 13 and 14, be projected therebetween, so that the spikes of such rollers will lacerate and retrieve the bark from the thus projected butt end. fits the thus scaled or peeled butt end is moved adjacent to the plate B, the plates 40 and 41 will. be separated due to the passage of the devic 8 over the sprockets 6, so that the willow therebet veen will be moved toward the front of the machine and the butt end will be thus arranged so that the butt of each willow will be protected only a predetermined distance. As the hooks 51 are so disposed as to prevent the villow from falling out of the device 8 as it is moved at the lower side of the sprockets 3, the twig will be held therein until the plates 40 and 41 are again moved toward. each other due to the straightening out of the chains 7 upon the lower strand thereof. As the conveyor is moved toward the sprockets 5, the face thereof engaging the cam member 12 will slightly raise the device and thus more greatly produce and increase the gripping action upon the plates 40 and 41, so that the willow will be firmly held at 47-49, while simultaneously with this action, the lugs 61 of the device 26, which have been previously opened, will receive the projected butt end, as the member 26 enters the space between the clrising walls 27, at which time, the lugs (31 are brought together upon and grip the butt end of the willow.

The movement of the sprocket chains 7 and 24 are so timed, that the device 26 is in the position to receive the butt end of the illow gripped in the device 8, and as the device 8 rides over the cam 12, it is evident that the willow will be gripped within the device 8, and that therefore as the same is moving to the left, and as the device 26 is moving at right angles thereto that a pulling upon the willow will result that will cause the bark to be cooled as the willow is pulled between the engaging ends 47 and 49 of the members 40 and 41.

The members 29 and 29 as soon as the member 26 en ages the pins 33-33, will be moved to the dotted line position as shown in Fig. 5, so that the device 26 can pass thereby without being obstructed, the instant that the same passes to release the pins 3333", the members 2929 will assume the full line position and thus cause the portions 29 and 29 thereof to engage the willow at a point adjacent to the lugs 61 or intermediate of the devices 26 and 8., the willow being thus drawn through the auxiliary scrapers 29 and 29 so that any ing left the device 8 will be entirely removed.

As thedevice 26 moves in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. l, the pins 60 will be brought into engagement with the ,v

releasing members 28, so that the lugs 61 will be separated to permit of the release of Y the willow, which is directed over the outlet of the machine butt downwardly.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A machine of the character described, including a supporting structure, an endless conveyer mounted transversely at the forward end of the machine, a plurality of twig grippers and scrapers carried thereby, a second conveyer disposed at right angles to the first conveyer and intermediate of the ends of the first conveyer, and a plurality of butt end grippers carried thereby and disposed to operate in consonance with the grippers and scrapers to receive and pull the twigs therefrom during the gripping of the twig therewithin.

2. A machine of the character described, including a supporting'structure, an endless conveyer mounted transversely at the forward end of the machine, a plurality of twig grippers and scrapers carried thereby, each of the latter comprising two longitudinally spaced sections flexibly connected together and disposed-to be separated during the passage at the respective ends of the conveyer, a second conveyer disposed at right angles to the first conveyer and intermediate of the ends of the first conveyer, and a plurality of butt end grippers carried thereby and disposed to operate in consonance with the grippers and scrapers to receive and pull the twigs therefrom during the gripping of the twig therewithin.

3.41 machine of the character described, including a supporting structure, an endless conveyer mounted transversely of and at the forward end of the machine, a plurality of twig grippers and scrapers carried thereby, a second conveyer disposed at right angles to the first conveyer and intermediate of the ends of the first conveyer, a plurality of butt end grippers carried thereby and disposed to operate in consonance with the grippers and scrapers to receive and pull the twigs therefrom during the gripping of the twig therewithin, and two toothed rollers journaled in the supporting structure and parallel" to the path of travel of the first conveyer for receiving the butt ends'of thevtwigs to lacerate the bark and reniove'the same therefrom preparatory to the delivery thereof to 0nd conveyer.

4:- A machine of the character described, including a supporting structure, an endless conveyer mounted transversely at the forward end of the machine, a plurality of twig grippers and scrapers carried thereby, each of the latter comprlsing two longitudinally spaced sections flexibly connected together and disposed tobe separated during the grippers of the secpassage at the respective ends of the conveyer', a second conveyer disposed at right angles to the first conveyer andfintermediate of the ends of thefirst conveyer, a plurality of butt end grippers carried thereby and disposed to operate in consonance with the grippers and scrapers to receive and pull the twigs therefrom during the gripping of the twigs therewithin, and auxiliary bark removing means disposed to engage the twigs simultaneously with the scraping operation.

5. A machine of this character, having an endless conveyer, a plurality of twig grip pers and scrapers carried thereby, each of the latter including two gripping members,

a resilient twig contact member carried by one of said members, and cooperative means carried by both of said members for engag ing the twig at opposite sides.

6. A machine of this character, having an endless conveyer, a plurality of twig grippers and scrapers carried thereby, each of the latter including two gripping members, a resilient twig contact member carried by one of said members, cooperative means carried by both of said members for engaging the twig at opposite sides, and means for preventing the twig from falling between the members during the conveying thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

R. P. PERRY, MARY WrrwEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D; C.

ALBERT o. POWELL. 

